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Daniels is looking forward to expanding Purdue’s relationship with GE. The company last year was the No. 1 employer of recent Purdue graduates.

This May, Krannert MBA student Jessica Kasmerchak will be among its newest employees, joining the company’s Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) full-time after completing a 2013 summer internship with GE Healthcare.

Kasmerchak, who worked in Purdue's admissions office prior to enrolling in the MBA program, identified GE as one of her top three prospective employers almost immediately thanks to the career resources provided through the Krannert Professional Development Center and Launching Global Leaders program.

Her internship experience with the company made it her first choice.

"The range of products GE manufactures is so vast, from home appliances and jet engines to hand-held medical devices designed to improve the availability and affordability of health care in developing countries," she says. "It's an amazing company with a great tradition of innovation, corporate citizenship and social responsibility."

Mariana Monteiro discusses her GE career and current responsibilities with the company's Affinity Network Center of Excellence.

A more veteran Krannert graduate at GE is Mariana Monteiro (MSM ’99), who recently was promoted to Affinity Network Center of Excellence (COE) leader with the responsibility for ensuring effective customer support for all GE Affinity Networks' diversity initiatives and activities.

She joined GE in 1999 as an HRLP intern in the company’s aviation business and for the last 14 years she held HR generalist roles of increasing responsibility and global coverage. Before joining the diversity team, Monteiro was the marketing program manager for GE Global Growth and Operations and served as the Hispanic Forum program manager.

Students who want to distinguish themselves in their first jobs should get involved, Immelt said. “Try to get involved in big initiatives,” he said. “Manage your time well. The best way to get noticed early in your career is to do 100 percent of your job in 80 percent of the time. The best careers today are built deep first, and broad second.”

And never lose sight of the work that’s being done on the ground floor, he added.

“There’s nothing more satisfying for somebody like me than walking through a factory that’s really working,” Immelt said. “If ever you lose sight of the value of jobs, you can’t be a good leader.”

In parting, Immelt announced a $100,000 scholarship to Purdue as a continuation of “a great relationship we’ve had for a long time. … And there’s more where that came from.”

“Most people believe great research universities and at least certain companies will have to find new and better ways to work together for mutual benefit,” Daniels said. “We’d like to be in the forefront of that.”